Created by Graham Wagner, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Lisa Joy, and Jonathan Nolan, Fallout depicts the aftermath of an apocalyptic nuclear exchange in an alternate history of Earth where advances in nuclear technology after WWII led to the emergence of a retro-futuristic society and a subsequent resource war. The survivors took refuge in fallout bunkers known as Vaults, built to preserve humanity in the event of nuclear annihilation. 219 years later, a young woman leaves behind her home in Vault 33 to venture out into the dangerously hostile and unforgiving Wasteland of a devastated Los Angeles to save her father. This leads her on a path that can reshape the power dynamic of this wild land, changing the fates of many along the way.
Whenever post-apocalyptic video games are brought up in conversation the biggest franchise that is brought up is Fallout for its unique premise, innovative RPG gameplay, relevant themes, and darkly humorous tone. While I haven’t played all the games in the franchise I am fairly familiar with it to know that it can definitely work as a live-action adaptation if handled by the right people. Thankfully that is just what Amazon did. They put passionate creators in charge of creating this series because what they crafted was an absolutely phenomenal video game adaptation full of fantastic quality and effort that may even rival the recent adaptation of The Last of Us as one of the best video game adaptations in recent years.
This series accurately nails down everything from the source material, which will certainly appease major fans of the games, but it also does a marvelous job of introducing newcomers to the twisted world and lore of the games through the eyes of compelling characters on multiple threads that all come together in a Neo-western narrative that is brutal, insane, self-aware, gory, emotional and even hilarious. This series has its own voice that stands out from other post-apocalyptic stories, showcased through the narrative tone and visual style provided by visionary showmakers who are no strangers to creating crazy stories like Westworld.
This series features a lineup of very colorful characters, all played wonderfully by a perfectly chosen cast who all feel like they come from the world of Fallout with their unique performances that give all these characters life. The true heart of this series and the character I feel most people would relate to is Lucy MacLean, played by the incredibly talented Ella Purnell. Ella Purnell has been showing herself to be a rising star lately but her work in this series may be my favorite performance of hers so far. Ella as Lucy radiates with wholesome sweetness and naiveness the very moment you meet her but as soon as she gets to the surface she goes through a great deal of change as she learns very quickly that things on the surface are a lot different than life in the vault.
We see her collision with the hard reality of other people’s experiences and what happened to the people who had no Vault and were left behind to die, which in turn changes her greatly over her journey to find her father, testing her morality and allowing Ella to showcase a whole range of emotion that you feel connected to. Yet despite everything she endures she has an unbreakable heart that refuses to give up and won’t let this Wasteland or its insane inhabitants get the best of her. In a way, she’s the person that I feel many people would wish to be in a world like this, though it is not easy when it’s hard to trust anyone in this brutal place.
There are individuals and factions that the series follows and explores in depth that are connected to Lucy’s journey and are all based on the world of the game and are adapted in fantastic ways due to the characters chosen to represent each one.
First, there is Maximus, an ambitious squire of the Brotherhood of Steel played by Aaron Moten. Moten plays a compelling individual who, like Lucy, starts off with his own moral code and viewpoints that change over the course of the series. He gets the chance to prove himself to his organization that is attempting to make the Wasteland a better place but, like the Vault dwellers, built in their own image.
We get such an interesting clash of ideologies when it comes to both Lucy and Maximus and yet both share a lot more in common than expected, hence why their journeys almost seem to parallel with each other even before they cross paths. This was my first time seeing Aaron Moten in anything so I wasn’t sure what to expect with him or his character but he absolutely rocked as this character both in terms of humor and raw emotion.
But my main favorite character of this series next to Lucy is the Ghoul aka Cooper Howard, played by none other than incredible character actor Walton Goggins. Walton Goggins continues to show such impressive range as an actor with every performance he has done in his career and that continues with this spotlight-stealing role as a once-famous Hollywood actor who mutated into a ghoul (the Fallout term for mutant) after the bombs fell, and now makes a living as a merciless gunslinger and bounty hunter. We get to see his character’s life in the past and present during the series and we learn what led him to become the individual he is now in the Wasteland, which is all extremely engaging as well as incredibly shocking when we learn just how deeply involved he was with certain parts of the world building.
It was also amazing to see Walton playing two sides of the same character, with his past self being a heroic and charming actor and family man while his present self is a ruthless and insane villain that has such immense presence every time he comes in on-screen, very much like Clint Eastwood in westerns. The character’s goals and full story become much more clear over the course of the story and he ends up being a fascinatingly layered character, one that Goggins gave his all to bring to life even under a lot of detailed makeup. Also, there is no doubt that he provides some of the best dark humor of this series that he delivers excellently.
The rest of the characters are also played phenomenally well by their respective cast members who really commit to the insanity of this world and their respective characters, making it feel like the rich world of the games in the best way possible, both in humorous and shocking ways. Even some of the minor characters that the main characters encounter in their travels feel like actual NPCs from the game, giving tribute to some of the bizarre encounters players would have with them, which is something I didn’t expect them to do but it is executed perfectly and hilariously.
The narrative has a lot of threads that are driven by the characters that all end up coming together tightly and consistently while simultaneously exploring the world around them in unique ways, making this one of the most explorative video game adaptations we have had. This series has hilarious black comedy elements but it also has some significantly shocking twists and turns that viewers will not expect, resulting in revelations that can be both heartbreaking and jaw-dropping, especially for viewers who have never played the games.
Obviously, fans of the games will know about some plot elements already before their reveal but there are still some major surprises that they won’t expect either making for a show that isn’t predictable for anyone. All the pieces of the puzzle come together in a satisfying yet hugely bloody high-stakes conclusion that sets an interesting stage for the story to continue in season 2.
Similar to the games, the series features many themes including heavy sociopolitical commentary and hugely challenges the idea of black-and-white morality through the perspectives of the characters that are all beautifully written and acted in every way. There is an interesting exploration of America as a place of haves and have-nots, and how being wealthy and never having to struggle for basic things such as food can drastically alter someone’s perspective and opinions like with Lucy and Maximus.
Another theme that could also be taken from the series regarding the Vaults is them being used as a metaphor for corporate control, as well as the hardships of immigration, particularly in countries with open/closed border policies, and what excluding certain people could mean. It’s all done in very subtle fashion like it is in the games and there is a clear self-awareness that is going on that again feels so perfectly written and adapted when it easily could have been done wrong.
Another thing this series shares with the games is the hyper-lethal and endlessly bloody action and gore that is definitely not for the faint of heart. This series does not hold back on delivering some graphic kills and sequences all achieved through both extremely well-made practical effects and CGI. Even the non-lethal injuries characters endure in this series are shown in such intense detail that I was cringing at several parts and rarely does gore ever affect me the way it did in this show.
Speaking of effects, it’s clear Amazon was sparing no expense when creating this show because it is visually impressive and stunning in every single way. A majority of the show looks and feels practical, using real locations for the Wasteland wilds and then hand-built sets for the Vaults and other locations. Everything looks like the game brought to life on screen with such incredible details both big and small, as well as a plethora of Easter eggs fans will spot including the iconic Nuka Cola bottles and the retro-looking objects. Seeing so much practical work being put into this adaptation was honestly awesome to see, especially with things like the Knight suits which I was worried were going to be CGI only.
But even when CGI is present for things like certain bloody kills, explosions, and mutated creatures it all looks refined and polished to perfection, never feeling cheap in the slightest. That is except for one little scene in the season finale that does stick out like a sore thumb. Without revealing any spoilers there is a character that is de-aged in a flashback scene and the de-aging effects are really rough. This was the one effect that seemed rushed and unfinished but again it was for one small scene so I consider it a very minor issue in an otherwise technically flawless series.
The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous in this series, capturing the atmosphere of the Wasteland from the games and even enhancing some of the more haunting and tension-filled sequences in the episodes, dialing up the thrills and chills when it needs to.
Also enhancing the series is the music which is mostly provided by composer Ramin Djawadi who delivers such a haunting and chilling score across all episodes inspired by the score of the games. Along with Ramin’s score, we also have a huge collection of retro songs from the 30s to the 50s used in needle drops across the series, similar to the games, all of which are incredibly fitting for the style and tone of the story. But these songs aren’t just tossed in for the sake of having a gratuitous soundtrack. Instead, each song has significant meaning with the themes and setting of the show that people can put together when listening to the lyrics. The songs can sometimes enhance the feeling of a certain scene whether it be humorous, emotional, or disturbing.
The Fallout games are full of unlimited creative possibilities to make a fantastic adaptation out of and this first season did such an unexpectedly phenomenal job at adapting the source material that it will appeal to both fans and newcomers alike. It’s clear that Amazon paid attention to the first season of The Last of Us and saw the passionate creative team involved in that adaptation and decided to get an equally passionate creative team for their adaptation of Fallout, yielding satisfying results, which gives me hope for some of the other future video game adaptations coming out. One thing that is for certain is that I will be eagerly anticipating the next season of this show and can’t wait to see what Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan do with these characters and this world next. I’m going to give Fallout Season 1 an A+ = 99.
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